Andy Serkis Would ‘Jump at the Chance’ to Star in New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movies, but Only With Peter Jackson: ‘Middle-Earth Has Never Left Me’

New “Lord of the Rings” movies are officially on the way from Warner Bros., and Andy Serkis is the first original cast member to say he’s ready to return to Middle-earth. Serkis gave an iconic motion capture performance as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s original trilogy and reprised the role in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

“Look, [producers] Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens are sort of a second family that I have become part of and have gone on to make so many films with,” Serkis told BroBible’s Post-Credit Podcast. “And — let me tell you — they are the best and most incredible people to work with. I think that there are so many other potential Middle-earth projects which could come about, and if they’re doing them, I would, of course, jump at the chance to have that relationship rekindled.”

More from Variety

• Amazon Studios Boss Jennifer Salke Unfazed by Warner Bros. New 'Lord of the Rings' Movies: 'We Have Enough Fan Love to Sustain'

• 'Luther: The Fallen Sun' Review: Idris Elba Breaks out of Prison but Can't Escape a Corny Script in Feature Spinoff

• Warner Bros. Discovery's Zaslav Shows New Combative Streak, Tweaking Media Rivals

Serkis added, “Middle-earth has never left me.”

While Amazon Prime Video is currently filming the second season of its series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” Warner Bros. surprised fans at the end of February when it announced that newly installed film studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy brokered a deal to make “multiple” films based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” books. No additional information was given by the studio, meaning it’s anyone’s guess whether the story will pick up before, after or during Peter Jackson’s original trilogy.

In a statement to Variety, Peter Jackson and his main “Lord of the Rings” collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens said Warner Bros. “kept us in the loop every step of the way” regarding the new “Lord of the Rings” movies. Jackson was behind all three “Rings” movies and all three “The Hobbit” movies, winning the Oscar for best director with “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

“We look forward to speaking with [the studio] further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward,” Jackson, Walsh and Boyens added in their statement.

Serkis currently stars opposite Idris Elba in “Luther: The Fallen Sun,” now streaming on Netflix.

Best of Variety

• Final Oscars Predictions: Animated Short - Will the Academy Go for 'The Boy' or 'Dicks?'

• Final Oscar Predictions: Documentary Short - Will the Academy Go for Malala or 'Elephants?'

• Final Oscars Predictions: Live Action Short - The Year of Ireland Could Continue With 'An Irish Goodbye' Winning

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.